Chapter 9: Decisions and Problem Solving

Lesson 2: Problem Solving

The Desert Dilemma

Directions: Read the following text and write down seven of the most important items from the
list to ensure survival and/or rescue.
The Situation
About ten o’clock in the morning in July, your small airplane has crashed in the Sonora desert in
Northern Mexico. Both pilots are dead and all that is left of the aircraft is a burnt-out shell. One
of the passengers is injured.
The was no radio in the airplane, but some of your fellow survivors think that you were about
100 kilometers off course when you crashed. Just before the crash the pilot informed you and the
other passengers that you were 120 kilometers south of a small mining camp.
From experience you know that daytime temperatures can reach 43°C (110°F) and night-time
temperatures reach freezing. All the passengers and yourself are dressed in light clothes. The
area is flat and arid as far as the eye can see.
The following list of items survived the crash in good order:
 jack knife
 flashlight with four batteries
 large plastic poncho
 detailed pilot’s chart of the area
 instrument to measure blood pressure
 compass
 one overcoat per person
 one pocket mirror
 one pair of sunglasses per person
 two bottles of vodka
 book Edible Desert Animals
 bottle of 1000 salt tablets
 one quart of water per person
 loaded .45 pistol
 one red and white parachute